4&20 blackbirds

“The Benevolent Voice of Benign Empire”

In today’s edition of “Views From Inside the Fishbowl”, we have retired Congressman and professor Pat Williams weighing in on the putsch in Ukraine, and the subsequent overwhelming vote of Crimeans’ desire for self-determination to return to the Russian Federation.

Seems that it is this sort of world view that separates those that are immersed in American propaganda and empire building, from those who are not:

“…That word “empire” applies to only one nation, the United States. We reject it, of course, because it smacks of imperialism with which we are entirely uncomfortable. Our destiny, as Americans see it, is to be a welcoming beacon of freedom….

Ours is the benevolent voice of benign empire… America accepts the obligation of a powerful and free people to assist others around the world with purity of purpose and without the constant calculation of self-interest….

Perhaps, just perhaps, the nations of the world will adopt responsibility and respect toward neighbors with the understanding that watchful United Nations, NATO and U.S. military forces are ever present just over the horizon.”

Read the whole thing to understand what has happened to Democrat’s vision of foreign policy. Williams deftly outlines what will become known as the Obama Doctrine: “the benevolent voice of benign empire.”

Joseph Goebbels would be proud to see how his writings have reached across time and space to influence empire builders in the 21st century, and the concepts taught to a new generation of youth.

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Reuters) – Russia raised the gas price for Ukraine on Thursday for the second time this week, almost doubling it in three days and piling pressure on a neighbor on the brink of bankruptcy in the crisis over Crimea.

The increase, announced in Moscow by Russian natural gas producer Gazprom, means Ukraine will pay 80 percent more for its gas than before the initial increase on Monday.

And here I thought the EU and IMF wanted Ukraine to reduce state subsidies for energy as a condition of their loan package. Why should Russia continue to subsidize (they’ve been giving energy to Ukraine at below market value for years) Ukraine, if all that is going to happen is the profits are going to be siphoned off to western banks?

And here I thought you understood gas & oil markets and all, being a Bakken/KXL cheerleader.

And during the 3-4 years that it takes for the U.S. to replace Russian energy supplies to Europe, what do you think they’ll do? Oh yeah, turn around and sell more energy to India, Japan, Korea and China.

But what’s all this have to do with our “benevolent empire?” You down with Williams’ assessment?

Benevolent Empires come and they go. Right now that foundation is crumbling and when cracks appear with no regaurd of repair the appearence of weakness is more detramental than the physical decay itself.

Anacronistic drivel from one of Montana’s once-respectable institutions.

Putin and Williams may be equally self-delusional.

Global capital has zero regard for, and zero accountability to, nation states and their quaint constitutions and system of laws. Our CIA, NSA and Supreme Court provide all the evidence needed to confirm that U.N., NATO and U.S. military forces are there to protect capital and profit, not people or nations.

“The political systems in the periphery [of the Eurozone] were established in the aftermath of dictatorship, and were defined by that experience. Constitutions tend to show a strong socialist influence, reflecting the political strength that left wing parties gained after the defeat of fascism. Political systems around the periphery typically display several of the following features: weak executives; weak central states relative to regions; constitutional protection of labor rights; consensus building systems which foster political clientalism; and the right to protest if unwelcome changes are made to the political status quo. The shortcomings of this political legacy have been revealed by the crisis. Countries around the periphery have only been partially successful in producing fiscal and economic reform agendas, with governments constrained by constitutions (Portugal), powerful regions (Spain), and the rise of populist parties (Italy and Greece).”